Which country-friendly SUV should I buy?

David is after an SUV that's happy in the city and country.

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David is after a used car for urban commuting and serious country touring.

Unsealed roads are on the agenda, so a diesel wagon with AWD and good ground clearance like Subaru’s Outback would be ideal. However, having owned a Liberty and found it expensive to service, he’s now pondering Skoda’s Octavia Scout. Or would Kia’s Sportage be better?

The budget

About $25,000

The shortlist

The Scout is a rare like-for-like alternative to the Outback and offers tangible advantages like longer service intervals and being able to tap into fixed-price-servicing certainty in this budget range. But, like the Subaru, it’s not the cheapest car to service and future cost spikes can’t be counted out. So what, then? Well, the SUV segment would appear to offer salvation, not the least because there are more to choose from than quasi off-road wagons. The Kia is one possibility, and a good one for this kind of job, but it’s not the only one.

It’s smartly presented, usefully practical and ticks the big safety boxes, including modern technology such as auto emergency braking (AEB).

The South Korean brand’s five-year warranty translates to coverage until 2020 for even the oldest examples and it’s backed up by a competitively priced lifetime fixed-price servicing deal.

But the Tucson’s back-seat and boot (488-litres) aren’t medium-SUV space benchmarks. Its diesel engine’s refinement and thrift (6.4L/100km), while fine in this company, are also up for debate. Because diesel models only just squeak into this budget and AEB was initially fitted only to the topline Highlander, getting it will be tough in the real world.

This Kia is closely related to the Hyundai and has the same core practicality, diesel engine and safety dot points, including similar AEB restrictions that also make it a tough ask.

It, too, has locally tuned suspension that eats up the rough stuff and comes with generous after-sales support.

But there are differences beyond their unique exteriors and cabins. The Sportage is better tied down through the bends and fractionally roomier in the back. Kia’s warranty coverage runs to seven years.

The suspension’s sportier flavour means less comfort on bumpy roads and it has a smaller boot (466-litres). While you get more warranty certainty, a use-by date for Kia’s fixed-price servicing deal (seven years/105,000km) and exxier pricing mean it goes the other way on servicing. It also uses more fuel (6.8L/100km).

This Toyota asks for this group’s most frequent servicing (six-monthly/10,000km versus yearly/15,000km for its rivals) and its warranty/fixed-price-servicing deal expires after three years.

Its ride can be terse on poor roads and its diesel engine is this group’s weakest, noisiest and not remarkably frugal (6.7L/100km).

Where its Korean foes have full-sized spares, it has a standard space-saver and leaves a full-sizer as an option, adding complication on the used-car lot.

But the RAV4 is dirt-cheap to service for a medium SUV and has this group’s roomiest cabin and boot (506-litres for the latter, or 577 if you can live with the space-saver). While outgunned here for driving flair, it’s not a bad drive and these 2015-on update models do ride better.

Where getting an AEB-equipped Tucson and Sportage will be tough for this money, its mandatory fitment to topline Cruiser models and availability as an option elsewhere ups the odds.

The Toyota scores too low as a whole to win this contest but its low-cost servicing, potential safety-tech advantages and other assets make it a compelling package if you want the job done with minimum cost and hassle, and can handle a bit of meat and potatoes to get there.

The Hyundai and Kia mightn’t be quite as affordable to service as the RAV4 but both offer a pile product and ownership advantages to justify the extra outlay.

Which one? Either would be fit for the task but the Tucson’s more comfort-orientated character and more far-reaching, affordable fixed-price servicing deal make it just that bit more on-point for David’s particular needs.

* Values are estimates provided by Redbook based on an example averaging up to 20,000km per annum and in a well-maintained condition relevant to its age.